Electric flatiron



Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,102,892 ELECTRIC FLATIRON MauriceF. Fitzgerald, to The Fitzgerald Winsted, Conn, assignor ManufacturingCompany,

Torrington, Conn, a corporation ol Connectl= cut Application .luly 28,

less, Serial No. sacre- 5 @laims. (@lt alt- 25) This invention relatesto new and useful improvements in an electric flatiron provided with anautomatic, heat-actuated circuit breaker, and

easily assembled. lll llt is also an object of the invention to providea construction in which the circuit breaker arm bodylng the inventioncomprises a sole plate 5 the central portion 6 by screws H.

An insulated terminal I2 is secured to a rear corner of the plate l anda forwardly extendo ing spring blade l3 carrying a contact N is securedto this terminal but is insulated from the plate by a mica washer l5orthe like. The plate ll! has a vertical flange Hi to which a bell crankH is pivoted, as at l8, to rock in a vertical 45 plane. The rearwardlyextending horizontal arm I! of the bell crank is bent laterally, as atEli, and has a broad surface to which a circuit breaker arm 2! issecured by screws 22 and 23 and suitably insulated. 50 which is adaptedto normally engage the contact H. The other arm 25 of the bell crankextends downwardly into a well 26 in the thickened porend adapted to heengagedhy a screw-threaded adjustable plug 29. i

A can plate 30 and handle are secured by screws 32. which engagethreaded sockets in the heads of the screws M. This can plate carries 5the usual socket 33 within which are terminal pins 3 3 and 335, suitablyinsulated from the cap plate 3% and adapted to be connected to a sourceof electric current. 021 of the pins, as St, ls connected by aconcluctorstrip to the termihal 23, which is also one of the'screws which securethe arm 26 to the portion 26 of the hell crank ll. One end of theheating element is con-= nected to the terminal l2 and the other end iselectrically connected to the terminal pin A spring ll, embedded at oneend in the por tion of the sole plate and with other end secured by ascrew 38 to the is so tensloned as to normally hold the circuit breakerarm 520 closed. When the iron in operation, as long as the contacts 2%,M are closed, current flows from the terminal pin 35 through theconductor strip 36 to the terminal 23, thence through the arm 2i,contacts E l, l5 and blade ill to the terminal H2, and thence throughthe heating element 5 to the terminal pin When the iron becomes heatedto the desired temperature, the longitudinal expansion of the Year 2?rocks the bell crank H and circuit breaker arm 2t against the tension ofthe spring Sl to open the contacts 52d, M; and break the circuit.

An initial adjustment of the temcerature range may be efiected byadjustment of the plug 29 and this may he subsequently adjusted fromtime to time to compensate for any wear of the contact points. A furtheradjustment is provided by a screw 39 mounted in the cap plate fill. Theex tremity of this screw hears against an insulator button so seated inthe end of the spring blade 40 [It and the screw is provided with ahandle all by which it may be turned to raise or lower the conadapt theiron for different degrees or" heat.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen turbed if the cap plateis removed for the purpose of replacing the heating element.

It will also be noted that the contact point H4 is secured to the springblade 03 and is adjusted by direct pressure from the screw 39. Thecontact point does not turn when the screw is adjusted. This is animportant advantage because, if the points become pitted or rough, theyare not thrown out of registry by the adjustment.

It is to be understood that the details of the present construction, asshown and described, are merely illustrative, and that the inventionalso embraces all such modifications as may fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate having heating meanstherefor, a supporting plate mounted on said sole plate, a leverpivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said supporting plateand having a switch contact carried by one arm thereof, a switch armmounted on said supporting plate and having a switch contact cooperatingwith the switch contact carried by said lever, an expansion bar disposedin direct thermal relation with said sole plate and cooperating with theother arm of said lever to actuate the lever about its pivotal axiswhereby to open and close the said switch contacts upon expansion andcontraction of the said bar, a cover for the flatiron, an adjustablescrew mounted on said cover and bearing against said switch arm andoperating to adjust the position of the contact carried by said switcharm whereby to control the temperature setting of the iron, the'saidadjustable screw being removable with the cover independently of thesaid switch arm and the supporting plate, and means detachably securingsaid supporting plate to said sole plate whereby the assembledsupporting plate, lever, and switch arm may be removed as a unit. a

2. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate having a heating meanstherefor, a supporting plate mounted on-said sole plate, a leverpivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said supporting plateand having a switch contact carried by one arm thereof, a switch armmounted on said supporting plate and having a switch contact cooperatingwith the switch contact carried by said lever, an expansion bar disposedin direct thermal relation with said sole plate and cooperating with theother arm of said lever to actuate the lever about its pivotal axiswhereby to open and close the said switch contacts upon expansion andcontraction of said bar, a cover removably secured to said sole plateindependently of said supporting plate, means carried by said cover andremovable therewith for adjusting the relative position of the'contactpoints whereby to control the temperature setting of the flatiron, andmeans detachably securing said supporting plate to said sole platewhereby the assembled supporting plate, lever, and switch arm may beremoved or applied as a unit.

3.'An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate provided withcommunicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses, aheating element for said sole plate, circuit means including the heatingelement and a pair of separable contact points, a supporting platemounted on said sole plate and including a vertical flange disposedadjacent saidsubstantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotallymounted on said flange with one arm thereof extending into saidsubstantially vertical recess, said vertical flange providing a bearingsurface for said bell crank lever and determining the plane in whichsaid bell crank lever is movable, one of said contact points beingcarried by the other arm of said bell crank lever and insulatedtherefrom and the other said contact point being mounted on saidsupporting plate, spring means operating on said bell crank lever fornormally holding said points in contact, an expansion bar disposed insaid substantially longitudinal recess and adapted to contact with onearm of said bell crank lever for causing separation of the said contactpoints upon expansion of said bar beyond a predetermined degree, andmeans removably securing said supporting plate to said sole platewhereby the assembled plate, bell crank lever, and switch contacts maybe removed or applied as a unit.

4. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate provided withcommunicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses, aheating element mounted on said sole plate and having portions thereofdisposed on opposite sides of said recesses, circuit means including theheating element and a pair of separable contact points, a supportingplate mounted on said sole plate above the substantially longitudinalrecess and including a substantially vertical flange disposed adjacentsaid substantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotally mountedon said flange with one arm thereof extending into said substantiallyvertical recess, one of said contact points being carried by the otherarm of said bell crank lever and insulated therefrom and the other ofsaid contact points being mounted on said supporting plate, spring meansoperating on said bell crank lever for normally holding said points incontact, an

expansion bar disposed in said substantially longitudinal recess andadapted to contact with one arm of said bell crank lever for causingseparation of said contact points upon expansion of said bar beyond apre-determined degree, a cover removably secured to said sole plateindependently of' said supporting plate, and means carried by said coverand removable therewith for adjusting the relative position of saidcontact points whereby to control the temperature setting of theflatiron.

5. An electric fiatiron comprising a sole plate having an upstandingwith communicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses,said central portion defining a channel therearound for the reception ofa heating element, circuit means including the heating element and apair of separable contact points, a supporting plate removably mountedon said sole plate above the substantially longitudinal recess andincluding an upstanding vertical flange disposed adjacent saidsubstantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted onsaid flange with one arm thereof extending into said substantiallyvertical recess, one of said contact points being carried by the otherarm of said bell crank lever and insulated therefrom central portionprovided and the other of said contact points being mounted on saidsupporting plate, means for normally holding said points in contact, anexpansion bar disposed in said substantially longitudinal recess andadapted to contact with one arm of said bell crank lever for causingseparation of said contact points upon expansion of said bar beyond apredetermined degree, a cover removably secured to said sole plateindependently of said supporting plate, and means carried by said coverand removable therewith for adjusting the relative position of saidcontact points whereby to control the temperature setting of theflatiron.

MAURICE F. FITZGERALD.

